Rosie Makes Buffalo Cauliflower Bites With A Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce.

Here's a quick little side dish I think you'll like - Buffalo cauliflower bites with a mild blue cheese dipping sauce.  I'm using Cambozola blue cheese for the dip - it's mild - but you could go with a stronger blue if your tastes run that way.  Save any leftover dip for dipping most anything - fried shrimp, crudités, you name it.
As for the Buffalo sauce, it's perfect also for Buffalo wings, of course.

First, cut the cauliflower into ... flowerets.

Toss to coat with a nice olive oil - one with lots of flavor.  And sprinkle with a good pinch or two of kosher salt.

I'm using Corto extra virgin olive oil today.  One of my current favorites.

Spread the flowerets in a single layer in a baking sheet and roast in a 450° oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning over at the halfway mark- until tender.

 

 I like a slight char on the cauliflower.

While the cauliflower is roasting, make the Buffalo sauce and the dip.

Buffalo Sauce

2 TB unsalted butter

1/3 cup Texas Pete

1 TB lemon juice

sprinkle garlic powder

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Stir over medium low heat until butter is melted.

When cauliflower is ready, pour Buffalo sauce over and toss to coat.

For the blue cheese dip:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup crumbled mild blue cheese (I like Cambozola.)

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 TB lemon juice

1 TB buttermilk

pinch kosher salt

a few shakes of cayenne pepper

sliced scallion

Combine yogurt, blue cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and buttermilk.  Season to taste with salt.    Sprinkle some scallion slices and cayenne over top.

 

Enjoy!

Fried Chicken A La Hawthorne.

Remember the other day I pounded chicken bosoms to make a chicken roulade? Well, I had a bunch of other chicken parts left over. As in all of them. The wings, the thighs, the drumsticks, and innard parts as in giblets, plus that skinny little fillet that comes off the breast.

First, I decided to marinate the chickie pieces in buttermilk and Texas Pete.

For at least an hour.

Whilst the chicken is bathing in the marinade, I'm assembling the ingredients for a blue cheese dipping sauce. Here, I have white vinegar, celery, green onion, red onion, mayo, sour cream, salt and pepper, lemon, fresh parsley and basil, blue cheese, and garlic.

I put in about a cup of mayo and 3/4 cup of sour cream and added 1 TB vinegar.

Then a TB of lemon juice.

A few garlic cloves.

I minced my parsley and basil.

Chopped celery.

Crumbled blue cheese and minced red and green onions.

Mix all together. Refrigerate dip for about an hour. Now, this is very good at this point. Tomorrow, I may add some milk or buttermilk and make a salad dressing out of it.

Next up, my seasoned flour to dredge the chicken pieces in. I have flour and corn meal, then my spices: salt and pepper cayenne paprika onion powder Adobo seasoning Cajun seasoning granulated garlic

I decided to make coleslaw. I have green and red cabbages, celery, green onion, carrot, and green pepper.

Chop, dice, mince.

Combine chopped, diced, and minced ingredients, then add cider vinegar, sugar, mayo, salt and pepper.

Mix well. I must say, this is one of the better coleslaws I've made. When Mr. Hawthorne makes slaw, he always adds a bit of oil into it. He claims it makes it keep longer. However, I don't like kept cole slaw. I try to make enough for one dinner and not have any left over. If you do have leftover slaw, you might want to add a bit of oil to it just in case.

Batter chicken pieces.

I'm frying in a combination of canola oil and a glop of lard. Yes, I said lard.

I cooked the bigger pieces first, saving the little fillet slices and the innards for last.

Perfectly fried chicken.

Here's the chicken with the blue cheese dipping sauce, my multi-colored slaw, and giblets.

Mr. H.'s plate.

Oh my.

Mr. Hawthorne declared this "absolutely delicious."

Dixie is asleep on her pillow, all sweet and cuddly and comfy. Just a big furry ball.

Isn't she cute?